LUTC meeting 5/18/2014
Present: Mike Warwick, Phil Conti, Paul van Orden, Allan Rudwick, Alise Munson, Mike Faden
Meeting to order at 6.38pm
- Luther Apts project: Steve Fosler, architect for developer WDC
- 12 units at 306 NE Monroe: 6 1BR 1st floor, 6 2BR 2-story on 2nd and 3rd floor
- 11 foot wide yard/open area on east and west side
- All rental housing; developer retains ownership of their buildings and also manages them
- No parking
- Requests/questions from committee
- Make front of building friendlier to street on Monroe
- Request, no bars on window on 1st floor apts on Monroe
- Request: no chain link fence
- Steve Fosler says developer markets to people who are not car owners – of currently owned 250+ units, 7% of people have cars. Request from LUTC to get number for apartments in this area; 7% figure may be skewed because ~100 of the developer’s units are in Pearl Dist.
- Short term bike parking is provided in form of staple racks. Question: where will residents put bikes? Architect says the idea is they will bring bikes into apartment
- Action: Architect will respond to each question in a letter to LUTC
- Other items:
- Mixed use zone walkaround is on 29th
- Old gas station lot at 7th and Russell; developer is planning 75 ft high tower with 4:1 FAR, based on RH zoning.
- Ex Novo Good neighbor agreement; Mike W says we have the good neighbor agreement in place
- Demolition permit for 3019 NE MLK: Mike W will go and look at the building to see if salvageable
- Rodney Bikeway update — Rich Newlands presentation
- Template for the project was City’s standard neighborhood greenway
- 2 issues specific to this project
- Crossings at Fremont, Killingsworth, Russell are busy intersections that need more than a crosswalk
- At Killingsworth and Russell the issue is addressed by curb extensions on all 4 corners
- Fremont is more difficult
- Traffic signal not warranted (traffic volumes do not warrant signal)
- Removing parking is an issue
- Latest idea is designed to save parking on south side of Fremont
- Idea is flashing beacon and curb extensions on east side of intersection (where Rodney meets S side of Fremont) and 2-way bike track on north side of road
- Diversion
- Some cyclists/bike advocates believe one should always design bike project with diversion
- Larger group believe diversion will be needed in this case due to changes on Williams
- City definitely sees diversions on the table – preference would be to wait and see how Williams works
- Potential issues: cut through on Cook from Freeway; there will be a stop light at Cook so cars may be more likely to cross Williams and go east on Cook
- Current plan is for regulatory diverter to stop westbound traffic at Williams – not physical barrier
- City received comments that more is needed – current idea is diagonal diverter at Ivy to prevent cut through to MLK (diverter redirects people to Williams); there were comments at the Eliot NA board meeting that diverter could be at Cook instead
- City is willing to put in test diagonal diverter (Big cement pipe-shaped structures with space in between that bike can get through)
- Crossings at Fremont, Killingsworth, Russell are busy intersections that need more than a crosswalk
- Further general discussion re bikeway
- Speed bumps are part of the plan on Rodney
- Current plan is to flip all stop signs on Rodney
- Phil Conti: Request to test 4 way stop signs at Monroe; Rich will bring that request back to City
- Rich: Have heard desire to have Rodney built in advance of Williams so that an improved detour route exists during Williams project; however, that would be a problem because it would set back Williams construction until next year. Existing bike Lane on Williams will remain open during most of Williams project
- Current goal is to start Williams construction in August
- Rich asks for input from LUTC re current bikeway proposal including diverter
- LUTC will put on agenda for next meeting
- Rich to send us latest design
- LUTC to discuss. Diverter: one proposal is that as part of development on Williams, put in test diverter. Or can wait until after Williams project and then put in diverter.
- Assumption is that we will provide letter to City re bikeway
- Allan says his biggest concern is the increase in number of people coming off Fremont bridge
Meeting ends 8pm